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The Long Goodbye complete score released by Quartet Records


Omen II

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Damn OmenII, you beat me by minutes :P

Here's more info:

Quartet Records is very proud to present the complete release of the most unusual score composed and conducted by JOHN WILLIAMS "THE LONG GOODBYE", a noir classic from 1973 directed by Robert Altman, based on the novel by Raymond Chandler, starring Elliot Gould as Philip Marlowe.

This CD runs 65 minutes,and every different version recorded for the movie is included in the album, with great artist as Dave Grusin, Jack Sheldon, Clydie King, Irene Kral, Jack Riley; inclus John Williams playing an amazing version of his song composed with Johnny Mercer. Also, the complete dramatic underscore arranged and conducted by John Williams is presented for the first time, including the long "Main Title" montage.

Only 1000 copies were pressed, and will be available for order and shipping the next Friday 7th.

Remember: Nothing says goodbye like a bullet...

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Source: https://www.facebook...94541585&type=1

This will be my first Quartet Records purchase! Can't wait!

Surely a new version of Fitzwilly must be in the works as well!

I am psyched because the Varese Fitzwilly/Long Goodbye CD is one of the few I don't have, and I hate combined score releases because I like to have all my CDs chronological :)

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You will eventually be able to order this via all the major soundtrack retailers (SAE, Movie Music, Intrada, Buysoundtrax, etc), but it isn't released yet.

 

 

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Only 1000 copies were pressed, and will be available for order and shipping the next Friday 7th.

 

Nice birthday present for me!

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I ordered Lalo Schifrin's Harry In Your Pocket from Quartet Records a while back and it arrived in the UK without any problems. I think they're in Spain, if I recall correctly. Much as I enjoy it, the Varese Sarabande album was a bit of a tease, as it left one wondering how many versions of the song were omitted and whether or not the elements had survived, while also failing to credit the performers of the versions that were included. I just hope this does not sell out too quickly.

Damn OmenII

Damien Omen II, surely? :pfft:

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Neat! I'll definitely pick it up. Like Elliot&ET, I don't have the Varese and am sick of seeing the $100 going rate on eBay. Hoping for Fitzwilly next.

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Excellent news! Simply excellent! :)

I wonder how long will this release last. Some of these less known Williams scores seem to have a cult following.

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Nice. I've never heard this score and Fitzwilly/The Long Goodbye is the only JW score CD I don't own.

Is it good?

This is a score that should be used as a study case in film music courses.

I'm not sure if I would call it Williams' "Chinatown", and while both films are from the noire genre, they are used in a ways to different from one another for such and easy comparison.

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This is also a score that permeates the film in an unusual way, becoming the process a special character of its own, and embodying the whole film in the end. The music itself is far from noir stylings although the film is in noir genre, the score taking mostly the role of source music and diegetic music yet succeeds in expressing the melancholy heart of the story and the certain futility and underlying sadness of the main character and his quest. It is also like an inescapable ghost that haunts the main character (and the audience) through the whole film, almost like a reminder of his own lost self.

Not every rendition of The Long Goodbye is a brilliant classic but there are some wonderfully nostalgic and melancholy renditions among the different variations. I especially like the jazzier ones.

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How can you say he didn't make more use of it throughout the film when it is nearly ubiquitous. It is the one thing you hear any time there is music in the movie.

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Hehe sarcasm center of my brain was obviously off at the moment I read that post. :P

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Yes, the theme is everywhere in the film, being whistled by one character, played on the piano by another, coming out of radio speakers anytime there is music, even a doorbell... but I wonder if that last one will be included on the CD :P

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Never even heard of Quartet records until I saw this. What do they tend to charge for single-disc releases? $24.99 plus shipping, I hope? I will be ordering this first thing tomorrow (providing they are on EST).

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They are a Spanish label. 8 a.m. in Spain will be like 2 a.m. EST.

I just got from them a couple of copies of Nuno Malo's wonderful new score to "Miel de Naranjas" and 12.95 euros for each disc, plus 6 euros for shipping to Portugal (I would have payed that for up to 4 discs in a single order, which doesn't sound too expensive, though it's a bit for a single disc...)

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They are a Spanish label. 8 a.m. in Spain will be like 2 a.m. EST.

I just got from them a couple of copies of Nuno Malo's wonderful new score to "Miel de Naranjas" and 12.95 euros for each disc, plus 6 euros for shipping to Portugal (I would have payed that for up to 4 discs in a single order, which doesn't sound too expensive, though it's a bit for a single disc...)

Thanks for the info Miguel. I'll definitely be ordering this.
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Are you ready to take up arms if you find out some secret blood feud you were not aware of?

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But you would mean well, wouldn't you?

I hope The Long Goodbye won't sell out in a hurry. I would love to get this unique score to my collection.

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But you would mean well, wouldn't you?

Well, yeah, I'm always mean... I mean, I always mean well!

I hope The Long Goodbye won't sell out in a hurry. I would love to get this unique score to my collection.

I'm sure someone here could buy it for you when it's going to be released if you don't have the money. Just sayin'!

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Yup it's up for order

THE LONG GOODBYE

John Williams

€16.95

Quartet Records presents the first complete release of John Williams’s score for The Long Goodbye, a film directed by Robert Altman in 1973 and inspired by the Raymond Chandler novel. The film starred Elliot Gould as Philip Marlowe, with Sterling Hayden, Nina Van Pallandt, Mark Rydell, Henry Gibson, a cameo appearance by David Carradine, and an uncredited Arnold Schwarzenegger!

This film represents the second score by John Williams for a film by Robert Altman; it was preceded by Images (1972) and some episodes of the TV series “Kraft Suspense Theatre” in the early sixties.

For this revision of the Philip Marlowe character, Altman asked Williams to provide a most unusual score: one single theme repeated throughout the film with many variations adapted for various scenes. The tune, one of Williams’ most inspired from the seventies, is presented as a song (lyrics by Johnny Mercer), with vocals by Jack Sheldon and Clydie King. Williams also presents the theme in different jazz versions (with the Dave Grusin Trio), as a tango, in blues style (“Night Talk”), as a warm love theme for trumpet and strings, on sitar (for the hippie party), or in Mexican variations for the last part of the film (“Mariachi,” “Guitar Nostalgia”). Williams arranged and personally supervised the different versions, in addition to adapting the song as underscore (“The Border, “Marlowe in Mexico, “The Mexican Funeral” and “Finale”). The lengthy 10-minute “Main Title” sequence deserves special mention as an example of how Williams developed his tune.

No album of The Long Goodbye was released at the time of the film, nor was the single with the Jack Sheldon and Dave Grusin versions prepared by United Artist Records. With the passing of time, the tapes for many United Artist films of that period have been lost, but eight years ago part of the score (about 23 minutes) was released by Varèse Sarabande in a limited edition CD that quickly sold out. To assemble this album we had to do some detective work, but that has been possible thanks to the efforts of MGM. In their vaults they found (in addition to the tape containing the versions included in the previous edition), two tapes containing new versions: an alternate of Dave Grusin, a jazz piano version featuring Williams himself, and some takes from the underscore. To complete the underscore assembly we used two different 35 mm. magnetic music stems in mono with acceptable sound quality. Finally, a trio of bonus tracks (found on the tapes) concludes the album: a fascinating and fun vocal in which singer Clydie King ad-libs while getting her voice into the song’s vibe, a rehearsal of the beach house party chorus with Jack Riley and Clydie King singing with the crowd, and a rehearsal of the solo violin for “Tango Version.”

So here, finally, is the original concept of John Williams for The Long Goodbye, as conceived by Robert Altman. Because of the many repetitions of the tune and the different sources from which the cues are drawn, this album is not presented in film order, but arranged for pleasant home listening.

The package includes a 24-page full color booklet with liner notes by film music writer Randall D. Larson. Limited edition of 1000 units.

01. The Long Goodbye (John Williams, piano soloist) (3:07)

02. The Long Goodbye (Clydie King, vocal) (4:35)

03. The Long Goodbye (Dave Grusin trio) (5:02)

04. The Long Goodbye (Jack Sheldon, vocal) (3:32)

05. The Long Goodbye (Dave Grusin trio) (4:33)

06. The Long Goodbye – Tango (2:30)

07. The Long Goodbye (Irene Kral & Dave Grusin trio) (3:11)

08. The Long Goodbye – Mariachi (2:04)

09. Marlowe in Mexico (3:37)

10. Main Title Montage (10:58)

11. Night Talk (2:08)

12. The Border (0:34)

13. Love Theme From “The Long Goodbye” (1:58)

14. The Long Goodbye – Sitar (1:02)

15. Guitar Nostalgia (1:01)

16. The Mexican Funeral (2:31)

17. Finale (1:08)

Bonus Tracks

18. Clydie King Adlibs Rehearsal (8:25)

19. Jack Riley and Ensemble Rehearsal (1:39)

20. Violin Rehearsal (2:06)

Total Time Disc: 64:57

Limited Collector’s Edition of 1000 units.

With samples of almost every track!

http://www.quartetre...ng-goodbye.html

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Then I'll hope that it becomes available at Screen Archives or other retailers soon.

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It's 5:50AM on the west coast right now, the California retailers (SAE, Movie Music, Intrada, etc) will probably add it to their catalog once they begin their work days

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